Happy New Christgiving

So maybe that title isn' t the best emulsion of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, but it's more original than "Happy Holidays." We ended 2009 with a fairly laid back holiday season (just the way we like it).

Thanksgiving: This wasn't just any Thanksgiving, it was also [Jake's] Grandpa's 91st birthday!

Christmas: We made our way down to Jake's parent's house on Christmas Eve (just as we have the last two years). Christmas morning began with the tradition of monkey bread, YUM! I think this will be a tradition we pass on to our kids. After breakfast, we opened presents. Jake and I are pretty spoiled: we made out like bandits! Christmas is the only holiday that we go all out and decorate for. Each year Jake picks two colors and I go out and get the ornaments and figure out how to decorate the rest of the apartment in the same color scheme. This year Jake picked gold and silver, but once I got to the store, I change it up and went with gold and chocolate brown.

 

From the top: Limited edition handmade Christmas cards, our 8-foot tree, Christmas cards hanging in the window from ribbons, decorative hurricanes, "fireplace" **DISCLAIMER - the mini stocking does not mean that we're expecting a little one, it's just decoration.**, tissue paper pomanders, and Jake's winter window treatment.

I'm sure you noticed that we spent both Thanksgiving and Xmas with Jake's family. We don't play the juggling game and try to balance the holidays between our families. We do Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and etc. with Jake's parents. This makes it soooooooo much easier on us. You see, the Hung's don't celebrate Christmas GASP! That's right, we don't have a tree and we don't exchange presents. I didn't grow up eating turkey on Thanksgiving or ham on Christmas. Usually what we do is go out to Dim Sum with 3 other [Chinese] families. But over the years, we've realized that Dim Sum is a pain. Restaurants are over-crowded, the food isn't so great, and it's just plain expensive. It's easier just to stay home.

New Years Eve: We hosted our 3rd annual NYE party this year. Unlike our previous two parties, this one was super low key. We had our closest friends over for an intimate potluck dinner party. We took care of the main course (a fabulous prime rib) and put the others in charge of appetizers, side dishes, drinks, and dessert. I'd never cooked a prime rib in my entire life, but it came out AMAZING.

14 lb, prime rib roast seasoned with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and rosemary sprigs.

2009: What a year! In February we spent a fabulous week in St. Lucia. August was an exciting month marked by us moving in together and our engagement! It's been an exciting year for our friends as well. Between the two of us, 13 of our friends also popped the question. So big congrats to: Matt and Abbey, George and Victoria, Jon and Ruby, Rusty and Gemma, Nema, James and Sara, Bo, Ben, Strickler, Chad, Vinh, Tini-Nini, and Val and Matt! 5 of our friends welcomed new additions to their family: congrats to the Dreyer's, Hanken's, Abueg's, Labonte's, and the Flannigan's. And finally, 5 of our friends/family tied the knot, congrats: Stoops and Fang-Fang, Adrienne and Chris, Kate and Matt, Kevin and Amy, and Adam and Allison! Appologies in advance if I forgot anyone.

2010: This year is going to be a busy year for us: weddings, weddings, weddings! We know of at least 7 that we're invited to across the country: 2 in upstate NY, one in MA, one in IN, 2 in CA, another somewhere in NY state. Of course, we'll be doing a lot of wedding planning and preparation of our own.

Here's to wishing you and your's a wonderful new year full of happiness and fun-filled adventures.